Guess what my GF got today!!

[Pheonixx]

Eastern kingsnake (chainsnake?)
Lampropeltis getula getula
This bad boy is about 6 - 7 foot long

 

[Brian S]

WOW That is a humongus kingsnake!!!! I didn't know they got so big. We have speckled kings around here but I don't recall ever seeing one that big. Is it very docile?

 

[Pheonixx]

docile and very sweet. He does have a tendancy to get himself into knots though, while taking the pics we had to stop cause he tied himself in a knot. LOL
He is a wonderful snake, not that i like snakes but the GF does so i have to be nice... but she is "renting" space in the spider room, i made her pay 20$ (one time fee) for space LOL.

EDIT: size, he is in a 30 gallon long aquarium and he wraps around it and can touch hea to tail with a few inches of overlap. The enclosure is 6ft around....

 

[xelda]

Wow, that is a HUGE kingsnake. I wouldn't mind having one. Or ten.

 

[GQ.]

I concur! That thing is huge! Using that bird nest box is a great idea. It makers a perfect snake hide.

 

[Pheonixx]

actually that hide is for chinchillas, rabbits and other large furry kritters. We figured he would kill something in the wild and take over its house so why not in captivity lol (no fuzzy animals were harmed, yet...)

 

[GQ.]

Ahhh, now I see. I remember seeing some similar boxes at a petstore once. I didn't look at them closely and thought they were bird boxes. Either way, nice choice!

 

[Joe]

That's an awesome snake. The chick holding it isn't bad, either.

The critter hide is good for small animals and stuff, but it's a little tall and has too many openings to be a good snake hide. Snakes like to be as scrunched up as possible in a dark place, and the opening should be just barely big enough for it to squeeze through. The saucers that go under the big red clay plant pots make great snake hides if you turn them upside-down and chip an opening. They don't look too bad if you're going for a naturalistic look, either. You can even use aquarium sealant or something to glue other decorations to it. Just a thought.

 

[atavuss]

that is a friggen huge snake! your GF is a hottie too! I would be a little more creative and find other ways of charging her for snake rent in the spider room!
I would also start looking for a bigger enclosure for that snake too, generally it is recommended that an enclosure be at least as long as the inhabitant.

 

[Pheonixx]

The critter hide is good for small animals and stuff, but it's a little tall and has too many openings to be a good snake hide. Snakes like to be as scrunched up as possible in a dark place, and the opening should be just barely big enough for it to squeeze through. The saucers that go under the big red clay plant pots make great snake hides if you turn them upside-down and chip an opening. They don't look too bad if you're going for a naturalistic look, either. You can even use aquarium sealant or something to glue other decorations to it. Just a thought

thank you for the tips, he is very scrunched up in that house, he is coiled about 5 times inside it. would it be better for him if i were to say cut half the bottom off of it to make it shorter?

atavuss- that enclosure was really all we could afford right now, he seems quite happy in it so far. that enclosure is a 30 gallon long. he has enough room to wrap around it with only a few inches of overlap head to tail. she does plan on getting a bigger enclosure but the one she wants is like 200$ thanks for the tip though.

 

[pitbulllady]

That is one HUMONGOUS Lampropeltis! I've got a large pair of Eastern Kings, but this is probably the biggest I've ever seen! Not only that, but he's a "Mosaic"-phase King, meaning he has the really wide bands with speckling inside and a lot of white on his sides. I have a three-foot female that's marked almost exactly like him. They are wonderful snakes, like I've said before, and I'd recommend one over even a Corn as a first-time pet snake, a really nice, easy-to-care-for alternative to a Boid.

pitbulllady

 

[Pheonixx]

mosaic? hmm thats cool. He has what looks like a chain link design on his body, the underside is almost totally cream colored. the top is as you see it. he is an awesome snake. we let him run around in the living room the other day that was a weird thing to watch but he apparently enjoyed the ability to fully stretch out and wander around. when we tried to put him back in he hissed and tried to get away, almost like he was saying, "but i dont wanna go to bed mommy" to my girlfriend.

 

[MizM]

Is this the same species as the California king?

 

[Beardo]

Is this the same species as the California king?

No, but Cal Kings are a subspecies... Lampropeltis getula californiae

 

[MizM]

Thanks. Wuz wondering cuz I've NEVER seen one of our locals that big! 5'-6' atthe MOST, and much, much slimmer. Is your species cannabalistic like the California subspecies?

 

[RaZeDaHeLL666]

Is this the same as Arizona desert king?? Here's my baby... I love it SOOO much!!

 

[Beardo]

Is this the same as Arizona desert king?

Nope...like the Cal King, the Desert King is a subspecies of getula...Lampropeltis getula splendida.

 

[David_F]

Lampropeltis getula splendida.

Just picked up a female of this ssp. about a week ago. I'd never seen one before and couldn't believe how colorful she was. Lots of yellow. Can't wait to see how she turns out as she grows.

 

[reptillian]

nice snake dude nice gf too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bry]

Is your species cannabalistic like the California subspecies?

All the kings and milks in the Lampropeltis genus are cannibalistic. Hence the term 'kings'. Other animals with the name 'king' such as the King cobra and the King ratsnake are also cannibalistic.